Heading Home

The defending World Champions finally return home to New York on Tuesday after a successful 4-2 road trip against Boston and Tampa Bay. Tuesday should prove to be an exciting day as the Yankees raise their 27th championship flag, receive their World Series rings, and welcome new additions like Curtis Granderson to the Bronx.

(Photo courtesy of Associated Press)

Start Spreading the News...

THE NEW YORK YANKEES ARE WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONS ONCE MORE

CC Sabathia was a bona fide ace, on and off the field, and an absolute gamer, taking the ball on short rest for virtually the whole postseason.


A.J. Burnett helped foster a sense of camaraderie the Yankees have lacked for years now, and pitched the game of his life against Pedro and the Phils in Game 2.


Andy Pettitte, who almost got away during the offseason, cemented his legacy as one of the ultimate big game pitchers, becoming the all-time postseason wins leader and clinching every single game along the way.


Damaso Marte seemingly came out of nowhere and dominated. Joba seemed to find himself again. And Robertson got a few important outs as well.


And what more can you say about the greatest closer of all-time, Mariano Rivera, who was ready and raring to go in the 8th inning of nearly every win?


While the right side of the infield struggled mightily at times, Posada was steady behind the plate (well, at the plate), Derek Jeter was Derek Jeter and Alex Rodriguez was truly a revelation, seeming like a new man entirely and coming through time and time again.


Damon caught fire (and the Phillies sleeping on that unusual and heads up "double steal" in Game 4), Melky was steady before going down with an injury, and Swisher had a Halloween homer that was huge.


And in what may have been his last game in pinstripes, Hideki Matsui came through with 6 RBI in Game 6 and won himself the MVP.


The 2009 World Series title is back where it belongs.


The Yankees sure throw one hell of a housewarming, huh? 1923 and now 2009. Guess those ghosts made it across the street after all.


See you at the Canyon of Heroes.

(All photos courtesy of Yahoo! Sports)

Home Sweet Home?

Opening Day at the New Yankee Stadium

Indians 10 (WP- Cliff Lee, 1-2)
Yankees 2 (LP- Jose Veras, 0-1)

The New York Yankees did everything right during the pregame festivities at their new ballpark. Trying to evoke the ghosts of the past, Yankee legends, from Berra to Winfield, lined the infield. Bernie Williams played his haunting and melancholic interpretation of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in his old stomping grounds, center field. Babe Ruth's bat was laid across home plate as Derek Jeter stepped into the box. Johnny Damon collected the first hit in the history of the Stadium and Sabathia struck out the first batter. But it was all downhill from there.Starter CC Sabathia struggled with his control but managed a respectable 5 2/3 innings of one run ball. It took CC 122 pitches, though, so Joe Girardi was forced to go to the Jekyll and Hyde bullpen early. Thanks to a Jorge Posada homerun (the first in the history of the new ballpark) the game was tied 1-1 when Sabathia exited. By the time Jose Veras and Damaso Marte were finished, though, the game was out of reach, capped off by a Grady Sizemore grand slam. Veras and Marte were so bad that the listless crowd chanted, "We Want Swisher!" As easy as it was to blame the bullpen, the Yankee offense went 1-for-11 with runners in scoring position, an alarming trend dating back to last season. The first game at the New Yankee Stadium was memorable for all the wrong reasons, as Cleveland beat New York 10-2.

Game 11: Do Over


Indians 5 (LP- Jensen Lewis, 1-1)
Yankees 6 (WP- Brian Bruney, 2-0;
Save- Mariano Rivera, 3)

Derek Jeter hit the game-winning homerun in the 8th inning of a tie game and Mariano Rivera saved it with a scoreless 9th to secure the very first victory in the new Yankee Stadium.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

The "Bronx Bombers" lived up to their moniker Friday afternoon, belting 5 solo homeruns (Damon, Teixeira, Cabrera, Cano, Jeter). The only other Yankee run scored via a throwing error by the Indians' Vinnie Chulk. It was just the right margin for victory. Joba Chamberlain, making his second start of the season, was not impressive, allowing 5 earned runs in less than 5 innings. Girardi was forced to go to the bullpen early once again, but, unlike the previous afternoon, Phil Coke, Jonathan Albaladejo, Brian Bruney, and Rivera got the job done by throwing 4+ scoreless innings. Earning the first victory at the new home of the New York Yankees was great, but the Yankees went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position. Timely hitting is sorely lacking thus far.

Game 12: Brutal


Indians 22 (WP- Fausto Carmona, 1-2)
Yankees 4 (LP- Chien-Ming Wang, 0-3)

Please don't make me recap this game for you. Look it up here if you must, but I advise against it.


Saturday afternoon's debacle featured 6 Cleveland homeruns and 16 surrendered earned runs between Chien-Ming Wang and rookie Anthony Claggett in only 3 innings. Every Yankee pitcher gave up a run (or eight) and every Cleveland starter had a basehit (or 4).

Embarrassing is an understatement.

A Look Ahead

The Yankees will try to salvage a split of the four-game series on Sunday afternoon when the newly appointed stopper A.J. Burnett takes on the Indians. Who will be opposing him, you ask? Why, none other than our old friend, Carl Pavano! Well, Carl is scheduled to pitch; he very well may break a rib or stub his toe or suffer a bee sting between now and 1:00 p.m. so it's best if you just tune in and see if he makes it.

Opening Day 2009

Following a long and eventful offseason, baseball is finally back, as CC Sabathia and the New York Yankees take on the Baltimore Orioles and Jeremy Guthrie from Orioles Park at Camden Yards.

The Yankees christened their new $1.5 billion ballpark with two exhibition games over the weekend as a final tune-up before the regular season. I was fortunate enough to attend Friday night's game and experience the new Yankee Stadium for myself. Having attended the final game at the original Stadium last season, it was fitting that I should be in attendance for the very first game played at the new incarnation. But that's a write-up for another day. For now, it's time to look ahead to what promises to be an exciting 2009. New acquisitions Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira have gargantuan contracts and high expectations to live up to; Jorge Posada, Hideki Matsui, and Chien-Ming Wang are all coming back from injuries; Derek Jeter and Robinson Cano are looking to come back from sub-par performances in '08; and Manager Joe Girardi has to decide how to shuffle five outfielders in Johnny Damon, Brett Gardner, Melky Cabrera, Xavier Nady, and Nick Swisher (not to mention Matsui once Interleague play rolls around). And, of course, there is Alex Rodriguez, who will carry all of his baggage onto the team sometime in the next few weeks as he recovers from hip surgery (and a bruised ego).
Despite the questions surrounding the 2009 New York Yankees, to me, they are the best team in the American League, if not all of Major League Baseball on paper. We'll just have to let the season play out to see if that translates to a division title and the ultimate goal of World Championship #27.

That quest for #27 finally gets underway April 6th in Baltimore.